Page 88 of The Devil's Secret

With every turn the SUV makes, my skin crawls, the nerves finally welcoming me into the dark. The sky has long abandoned the blazing blue, now woven with ash dipped in black ink, and serenaded by the stars in the softest of melodies.

Enzo is seated beside me, his fingers linked through mine, his other hand on his weapon, clutching it so tight, his knuckles must’ve turned white beneath his gloves.

“One minute to showtime,” the driver announces.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Enzo quietly implores. Elliot and Dante are in the row behind us, while Dom is in the passenger side.

“I am. Whether he realizes I’m not coming alone or not, I need to look him in the eyes. I need him to see me.Reallysee me. The way he never did before.”

He clenches his jaw. I have every intention of surviving this, but if I don’t, if my death can save my friends and others, then it’s worth the sacrifice. And leaving Robby forever, God it would be the worst kind of pain, but maybe when he’s older, he’d understand why I did it. That sometimes helping others in spite of your own safety is worth it in the end.

“I’ll be close,” Enzo assures me with a look that says he wishes he could take my place. “If you say the code word, I’ll storm right in. Got it?” He wraps the span of his palm around the slope of my neck, his gaze sinking into mine.

“Yeah.” I nod against his strong hold, his masculine touch tethering to me possessively.

“Tell me what it is again.”

“Spider.” I snicker. “Original. Did you think of it?”

“I did.” His mouth twists in amusement, tapping his temple with his index finger as his hand falls from me. “This brain wasn’t made in a day.”

A small laugh bursts out my throat. I clasp my palm around the stubble riding his cheek. “I love you,” I tell him. “Just promise if anything happens to me, you’ll—”

“Hell no.” He shakes his head. “We’re not doing that shit.”

“Enzo…” There’s a pleading in my voice because I need to hear him say it. “Please, let me do this.”

“Fuck, baby,” he grits, sucking in a deep breath as his eyes shoot to the roof of the car. When his gaze returns, there’s so much torment within it. “I’ll take care of him,” he vows, knowing exactly what I was about to say. “You’ll never have to worry about that. He’ll always have me and your brother. But I swear to God, Jade…” He palms the back of my head, gripping it tightly as he lowers his forehead to mine. “You’re not dying on me. He and I, we both need you.”

But there’s a good chance I won’t make it out of this. He doesn’t know the extent of my plan once I come face-to-face with the man who ruined my life.

“We’re here,” the driver informs as a heavy sigh leaves the both of us simultaneously.

“Goddamn it,” Enzo spits out as the vehicle stops about a quarter block away from the address Agnelo scribbled down, additional vehicles halting behind us.

I glance out the window, finding a silent street with nothing but trees, the forest seemingly endless under the singular streetlight.

We get out, as do the men from the other vehicles, all of them now circled around us. Enzo and his brothers had already sent men to scout the location and the surrounding vicinity before we arrived. There are no homes for miles, and they’ve shut down all cameras in a five-mile radius.

“Okay, this is the plan,” Dom says, his tone commanding. “Enzo will walk Joelle to the corner before she heads the rest of the way alone, with us taking our positions. You all know where you’re supposed to be. Radio for assistance if you need it and shoot every motherfucker who stands in your way.”

There’s a collective nod from the men.

“All right.” Dom’s eyes dart to each one of them. “Let’s end this.”

As they all disperse, I go to Elliot. With a defeated look, he throws his arms around me and hugs me tight. “You better not die.” His words fall with affection against my ear.

“That’s what everyone keeps telling me.” I let out a small laugh as we separate. “I love you, Elliot.”

“You too, sis.” He kisses me on the cheek, then moves to the rest of the guys.

Enzo’s there now, grabbing my hand and yanking me hard against him. With this damn vest on me, I can barely feel his body.

He touches around my hip, making sure the gun he gave me is still tucked in the waistband of my leggings, the oversized black hoodie covering it from view. We only had a little bit of time for him to show me how to work it, but I got the hang of it.

“I won’t be afraid to use it. I promise.”

“You better not, baby. He has to know Robby is with us by now. He’ll have no reason to keep you alive, and I hate that I’m letting you do this. It’s killing me.”

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